Third parties send out nasty mailers on final weekend of election

Third parties sent out anti-Gregg Weiss and anti-Shanon Materio mailers on the final weekend of a hotly-contested election.

Common Sense Leadership for Florida, an organization run by Miami-based consultant and State Attorney Dave Aronberg campaign manager Christian Ulvert, sent out a mailer bashing Weiss on tax issues. The mailer claims Weiss did not pay the business tax that funds the city and did not pay “property taxes that funds the city and schools.”

WPB Residents for Integrity in Government, an organization run by neighborhood activist Bill Newgent, sent out a mailer bashing Materio’s “negative politics” and for running for the seat after saying she likely wouldn’t. The mailer criticizes Materio for being forced early in the campaign to remove comments about Weiss from her web site that were inaccurate. It also blasts Materio for saying she’s done more in nine months than former south end commissioner Bill Moss did in nine years. Materio was appointed to replace Moss, who died last March. Newgent and Moss were close friends.

Weiss on Monday slammed the mailer, saying he did go back and pay the business tax after learning during the campaign that he didn’t pay about $400 to the city and county for occupational licenses. He also said he wasn’t required to pay a property tax on his online cigar business.

“The company had no assets and if you have no assets you’re not required to file for the tangible personal property,” Weiss said.

Weiss added this his business, which he has described as more of a hobby, lost money in 2007 and 2008, the two years it was operational. State law does not require businesses that bring in less than $20,000 a year to pay property taxes.

Materio and her campaign did not immediately return calls for comment. Tomorrow’s election is open to all voters citywide.